"I Love My 40s!"

"I wasn't active, and I loved food — ice cream, burgers, my dad's Hungarian goulash," says Lynne Frumkin, a mortgage banker from Great Falls, Virginia. When she moved to south Florida in her late 20s, Lynne took up aerobics and dropped to 135 pounds, where she stayed for years — even after the birth of her first baby. But with her second pregnancy, five years ago, everything changed. "After I gave birth I weighed 157 pounds and I couldn't lose an ounce of it," she says. Caring for an infant and a toddler left her exhausted, and she found comfort in food. "I had no time or energy to work out, and I ate crackers, pizza and cereal late at night."

Then she moved back to Washington, D.C., and reunited with her former work colleagues. "People kept saying that I looked so different," she says. "I also realized that I had no energy for things I used to be excited about, like my job and my family." Lynne decided it was time to change — desserts and pasta were saved for treats. She also cut back on white flour and added high-protein snacks like peanut butter and cottage cheese. In six months, she lost 20 pounds. Then she recommitted to exercise, hitting the stairclimber at the gym and weight training four to six times a week. Within four months, she dropped from 137 to 121. Now her energy levels are soaring. "I pack a ton into every day — kids, work, time with my husband," she says. "I wish I had known that my 40s would be so much fun!"

"I Lost 95 Pounds and Doubled My Energy!"

Misty Harris once carried 210 pounds on her 5'2" frame — weighing even more than her 6'3" husband when this photo was taken. But by revamping her diet and exercise habits, she lost a whopping 95 pounds over a two-year period.

"I Cut Portions and Dropped the Baby Weight"

Two babies in two years left Dawn Scrutchins carrying an extra 50 pounds on her once slender body. When this photo was taken, she weighed in at 170 pounds. Portion cutting and an exercise plan have since helped her lose her baby weight.

"I Started Running and Dropped 90 Pounds": After

"I Dropped 30 Pounds in My Home Gym"

Eliana Martinez, pictured here at her former weight of 170 pounds, used to think that weight gain was normal as an adult. Now she knows better — and has the body to prove it. How'd she do it? Read her story.